As of July 11, 2023, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has announced the deferment of the National Exit Test (NExT) for final-year MBBS students of the 2019 batch. The decision came following a directive from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The NMC released a public notice stating that the NExT examination has been deferred until further directions from the ministry.
While the announcement mentioned the deferment of the NExT, there was no specific information regarding the mock NExT that was scheduled for July 28. It is unclear whether the mock test would also be deferred or proceed as planned.
The deferment of the NExT brought relief to students in medical colleges in Bengal, as they expressed the need for more time to understand the format of the examination and prepare accordingly. The introduction of the NExT has faced opposition and protests from students and student bodies, with demands for its complete scrapping. Organizations like AIDSO have been particularly vocal about their opposition and have stated that they will continue to protest if attempts are made to introduce the exam in the future.
The NMC had recently introduced regulations for 2023, outlining that the NExT would be conducted in two phases per year. However, the deferment of the examination indicates a delay in its implementation, and further updates from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare are awaited to determine the future of the NExT.
 has announced the deferment of the National Exit Test (NExT) for final-year MBBS students of the 2019 batch. The decision came following a directive from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The NMC released a public notice stating that the NExT examination has been deferred until further directions from the ministry.){kind=link}